Introduction To Tourism In Italy Tourism Essay

Italy came into existence in the 9th century BC with Rome as powerful capital. Initially it was consist of Oscan, Umbrains and Latin. It was a huge hub of science, social science and arts. Italy initially was given by Greek settlers. In 2009, the population of Italy has crossed the bar of 60 million. It is the fourth largest populous country in the Europe. And it is the 23rd populous country in world. As far as population density is concerned it has almost 200 persons living in the every square kilometer of Italy.

If we go on geographical side then its area is around 301,338 square kilometer. It is divided into 20 administrative regions that includes Abruzzi, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Remagna, Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte, Puglia, Sardegna, Toscana, Trentino-Alto Adige, Umbria, Giulia, Lazio,Valle d’Aosta, Veneto, Sicilia, Friuli-Venezia and Basilicata. If we come across the birth rate then it is around 9.78 births per second in 1000 people which is comparatively large

History

Italy has always been popular amongst tourists. People have been visting it for ages but first visit by tourist can be cited as the aristocrats during the Grand Tour. This started in the late 17th century and kept on growing in the 18th century.

Rome was especially popular among early tourists due to its reputation of being the capital of powerful and influential Roman Empire. The city was a major attraction and thousand of tourists visited the city every year. People came from Mediterranean, Northern Africa, mainland Great Britain and part of Middle East. Country was also popular as a trading site and traders and merchants came to Italy from several different parts of the world.

Italy can be geographically segregated as follows:

Northwest Italy

This city is famous for the historic cities such as Turin, which is often known as the manufacturing capital of Italy. City of Milan is also situated here. Milan is famous all over the world for being the fashion and business capital of Italy. This part of Italy also includes the important port of Genoa .

Northeast Italy

This part is also popular among tourists and has many attractive tourists destinations such as cities of Venice, Verona, Vicenza, Padua, Trento,, Bolzano, Ferrara, Piacenza and a few others. It also boasts of several mountain ranges such as Dolomites, the Carnic and Julian Alps and very popular ski resorts like Cortina d’Ampezzo and Madonna di Campiglio.

Central Italy

This area includes the major tourists attraction and is one of the most visited amongst others.It includes cities such as Florence ,known as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and also cities with rich cultural heritages such as Lucca are located here.

Southern Italy

Naples is the most popular tourist destination in this area. It also includes areas such as Amalfi Coast and Ravello,Apulia and the beaches and sights of Calabria.Though this part of Italy is not that popular as a tourist destination but agritourism is changing the face of tourism rapidly and it is increasingly becoming popular.

Sicily

This is the largest island in the country and a very popular island amongst tourists. It is famous for its archaeology,seascape and Sicilian cuisine.

Sardinia

These are large islands containing several popular tourist attractions such as beaches and archaeological ruins.

Tourism Destination of Italy

Since we are more focused on tourist side then certainly it becomes important to us to include the largest populous cities of Italy which are Rome, Milan, Naples, Turin, Palermo and Genoa. Among other major Italian cities the most populated having more than 250,000 inhabitants are Bologna, Florence, Bari, Catania, Venice and Verona.

The national language of Italy is Italian but other regional languages are also spoken on various degrees. We will have different climate from south to north in Italy. We can expect very cold winters and very hot summer with very harsh climate during may. Now there is one more reason why Italy is so famous just because of its famous cuisine like thin and crispy Neapolitan pizza and Sicilian pizza. It is simple and evenly distributed in four to eight integrands. In Italy we use Euro that is equal to 1 US Dollar. In terms of Dinar 1 Euro= 0.33 Kuwait Dinar. Italy has a very higher degree of infrastructure and it is well connected by expressways, national highways, airports and seaports. Overall in Italy we have 136 International Airport and railway system is spread in about 20,000 kilo meters. Virtually all the cities and towns are connected by buses and taxis which moves round the clock. Italy has many charming and unusual towns and historic moments that can be easily tapped in Italy. Italy is one of the modern cities of Europe and it is having secular government. Today nearly one fifth of the population of Italy professes to be either Atheists or Agnostics, while much of the remainder of people in Italy who do profess any religion. Italians are warm, welcoming people who love to relax, celebrate and socialize with family and friends. They usually find reasons for celebrations and relaxation. They have passion for talking and eating. Italians like to socialize outside and they also believe in small gathering. Now a day, in Italy a new emerging business trend is tourism that is having a turnover of around 80 million dollars per year.

Italy is the fifth most popular tourist destination of the world .It averages about 46.1 million tourists every year.It is only behind France, USA, China, and Spain in terms of popularity among tourists.Italy is well known for its richness in art, cuisine , history , fashion and culture.Its geography contains long and beautiful coastline and beaches ,huge mountains and monuments.

Tourism is a huge contributor in GDP of Italy .It is also one of its fastest growing industrial sector whose profit is in the range of $43 billion.

Tourism organizational structure

Tourism has become a great economic factor in the growth of a country. It has become all the more important since the exponential rise in leisure mobility. Cultural heritage has become pivotal for the tourists .Museums, churches, historical landscapes, urban parks, and exhibitions attract many visitors and historic-cultural amenities have seen a large wave of tourists.

While this boom in the growth of tourists has been a positive impact on the local economy, such mass tourism also brings certain negative elements such as congestion, poor quality of life and local identity crisis. This tourism dilemma is more conspicuous in cities with rich cultural past such Naples etc.

Violent crime rates are low in Italy compared to other European countries.Tourists need to be a little careful and use common sense and they should not encounter personal safety risks even in the less affluent neighborhoods of the large cities .

There are four types of police forces in Italy:Polizia di Stato, Carabinieri, Guardia di Finanza, Polizia municipale. Their style of dressing varies among the cities but they are easy to spot due to their uniform and marked cars

The operating sectors conducting business at the destinations

With the population of more than 60 million, millions of tourists visit Italy every year to spend their holidays, enjoy the beaches and the see the sights like leaning tower of Pisa and also to get taste of an Italian lifestyle. As per the Foreign affairs ministry of Italy, this industry explicates more than half of the Italian GDP, also has impact on the employment and development or construction industry.

Major attractions:

The northwest Italy region, it consists of Italian Riviera, the Portofino and the Cinque Terra. These are the major historic cities of the Italy, the Turin is also called the manufacturing unite of Italy also resides in this part. This part also includes Milan, which is the famous business and fashion destination of the world. The other major attractions include landscapes of Lake Como area.

The other major destinations include the Lazio and the Abruzzo city of central Italy. The Apulia and the Calabria city in southern Italy and the Sicily and the Sardinia Island around the southern Italy.

Business Destinations

The major destination of Italy is Milan, also called the fashion and business destination of the world. The other major business destination is Turin, which is the also known as the manufacturing city of Italy.

Business Travel

There all types of business travel are present in Italy, you can reach Italy through air, and all major flights come to Italy. You can choose variety of services offered by the airlines companies as per the business. There is also train route offered by inter-countries of Europe. So there of travel opportunities present to reach Italy.

Lodes/Accommodations

All the major international brand restaurants and hotels are present in the major tourist’s destinations. You will find all types of accommodations like luxurious hotels, rented apartments and lodes. All kinds of accommodations are present as per the financial need. The Italian people are also known for its hospitality so ample opportunities of accommodation available at major tourist spots.

Future for the destinations and the benefits to each community

There is huge impact of tourism in the GDP of the Italy, as per the Ministry of Foreign Affairs half of the GDP of Italy is comes from tourism industry. The impacts of tourism on various sectors are given below:

The tourism industry of Italy has a lot of impact on the educating the peoples as these provide likelihood to lot of peoples in the form of tour operators. So tourism also plays an important role in educating local people to get advantage from this industry.

Due the tourism there is lot of developments happening day by day in the real estate, to get all modern equipment’s available for the tourists like world class restaurants and accommodations.

Tourism has also created ample employment opportunities for the people residing near the major tourist destinations like in the form of guides, hospitality and etc.

So in the near future due to major developments and role of government in protecting the historic buildings of the country would lead to further development of tourism industry. So it is going to reach bigger height in the near future.

Problems Created by Customers/Tourists in Italy

Being one of most desired tourist destinations in the world, Italy has to face a number of problems related to the tourism. Tourism is not always favorable when various other aspects of it, is also included. There are some significant problems which emerge due to the tourism. Mentioned below, are some of major problems at different tourist destinations of Italy, caused by he customers and tourists:

Problem of vandalism and over-crowding in Rome

Rome is famous for its rich architectural heritage. But due increased tourism the problem of vandalism has increased. Some of important and beautiful monuments are tampered and disfigured by some notorious tourists. Rome being the capital of Italy welcomes a huge number of tourists every year. The major problem faced by Rome is over-crowding. There places have become very crowded which has also resulted in the problem of heavy traffic.

Problem of pollution in Venice

The city of Venice faces lots of problems due to the excessive tourism. The flooding of the canals and lagoons with the polluted water is an alarming problem. Due to increased number people, sewage system is severely affected, with in turn pollutes the canals and lagoons. The tourists who come to attend concerts or expos cause heavy littering. Increased number of vehicles results in parking problem.

Problem of inflated prices in Sicily

Famous for its beautiful countryside and well preserved towns Sicily is affected economically by the increasing tourism. The prices of basic commodities and products have increased due to external influence which is a negative outcome for local residents and students unrelated to tourism business. Increase in the land pollution and congestion of narrow roads are some other problem created by the tourists.

Problem of increased wastes in Naples

The incoming tourists produce a lot of additional waste which has increased the environmental pollution in Naples. Increased garbage, polluted air and water bodies are some problem aroused by tourists.

Solutions to the Problems at Tourist Destinations

Tourism industry is an important contributor to the GDP of Italy. The problems caused by the tourists must be dealt with a proper manner without any negative impact on tourism. Mentioned below, are some of the solutions to the highlighted problems mentioned above:

Problem of vandalism

Solution: Installing close circuit cameras near the monuments to catch perpetrators, increasing number of guards to secure the area, making more severe laws regarding vandalism.

Problem to overcrowding and traffic

Solution: Put time restrictions on the tourists from outside countries for entrance in major cities like Rome, Venice, and Naples. Use of public transportation should be made mandatory for the tourists. The private transportation vehicle must only be issued in group to decrease the number of vehicles on road.

Problem of heavy littering

Solution: Ban the use of any substance that causes littering, inside a concert or expo. Create proper garbage collecting site near centers of concerts and expos. Increase fine for littering. Appoint extra man power to stop such notorious tourists.

Problem of pollution of water bodies

Solution: Improvement of sewage system of major cities, structuring it to handle the sewage generated by the population double the size. Create accommodation for the tourists at the edge of the cities. Create sewage treatment plants large enough to handle increased inflow of sewage.

Summary

Italy has a rich cultural heritage and it is a heaven for the tourists who love art. The beautiful mountains, lakes and landscapes make it a perfect place for the tourists to spend their vacations. The accommodation facilities are very good and affordable. The transportation system is favorable for the tourists, connecting all the major tourist destinations together. The crime rates are low which makes it a safer place for the tourists. The Grand Tour Italy is a very nice facility which allows tourists to visit and enjoy popular destination of Italy in a cost effective way. The cultural and political environment is favorable to the tourists from different countries all over the world. The flourishing tourism has made Italy to pay some external cost too. The residents are fleeing away from the island due to excessive inflow of tourist. The tourism industry has also replaced some small but significant economic sectors.

Conclusion

Italy is among the top tourist destinations of the world and the tourism industry is an important part of nation’s economy. The recent economic crisis has indeed slowed down the inflow of tourist, but the tourism industry is still flourishing in Italy. It has made a good recovery from the recent worldwide economic slowdown. Italy also faces the problem of excessive tourism, which has made some negative impacts. The major cities of Italy have been facing the problem of overcrowding and the pollution of all sorts. The problem of heavy traffic, congestion of urban areas, and increase in amount of wastes is rising at an alarming rate. The historical monuments and places are being highly exploited, which can lead to their degradation in coming years. The cultural influence by the outside tourists has diluted the culture of the region and the history is being distorted. But the tourism department of Italy has gone to great lengths to facilitate its tourists. They are discovering new historical places for the art loving tourists. Although they are among the best in the world, they still need to make some changes and take some innovative steps for the sustainable development of tourism industry.

Recommendation

Apart from giving a boost to the economy, tourism industry of Italy has also had some negative impact. This study has highlighted some significant setbacks of excessive tourism. The government should create a proper channel to pool back the profit generated form tourism. The funding for the maintenance of important monuments must be increased. Some of structures are in fragile condition which needs special care. The inflow of tourists must be kept in check to minimize the problem of congestion and overcrowding in major cities. The tourists can be provided with an e-card to enter major tourist destination and should be charged for the same. This way the government can electronically monitor and control the flow of tourists. Through the use of latest information communication technology tools, the tourism department can create a central base for handling all the tourism activities. The development of a central base to guide the tourists and provide them help through phones and computers can prove to be very beneficial for the Italian tourism department.

Comparison between Italy and Spain

The Spaniards and Italians peoples can be said as culturally similar countries, their way of approaching and greeting each other is also very similar. But both countries have lot of differences in terms of political, economic and historical we will compare both these countries in these grounds.

The Spain is a political entity since form centuries may be starting of 1400 century and it had a well-established colonial empire. The Italy has got just republic and was not a colonial empire.

Due to this Spaniards are having senses of Solemnity as compared to Italians on this ground. So they are probably more self-control as compared to Italians.

From economic point of view both Spain and Italy are always associated with struggling investment conditions sometimes even threat of having bankrupt. On comparison Italian economy is stronger and prosperous than Spain’s economy.

In terms of tourism industry, it is only relevant income generating business activity of Spain. Tourism is also a major portion of GDP for Italy but it have also major industries like fashion industry etc. which are major players.

On the basis of tourists come, in Spain tourist are mainly came for spending vacations and holidays. But in Italy people mainly come to experience the lifestyle and architectures of the ancient monuments.